Written by Heather

Explained: building regulations and staircases

Explained: building regulations and staircases

Last updated Tuesday 25 September 2018

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You might look at stairs and not think much of them, but this home essential comes with a lot of rules and regulations - namely, building regulations.

As such a structurally important part of your home, all staircases must adhere to strict set of rules set out by the government. So if you’re looking at giving yours a makeover, or you want to build something bespoke, here’s what you need to know…

Width and height

Good news, though there are many rules surrounding staircases, there’s no strict minimum on the width your staircase can be. That being said, you’ll need to remember to keep them functional, and that at some point you’ll probably need to move furniture up or down them.

Our experts recommend keeping your stairs to a minimum of 750mm, though this can be pushed to 600mm in the case of loft conversions.

As for the length of your stairs, this is naturally dictated by the number of stairs you need, and their own height and width restrictions - more of this in a moment. For domestic properties, the maximum number of stairs you can have is 16. However, in our experience, even the tallest home rarely goes over 14.

Which part of your property are you looking to extend or renovate?

Select an option below to get a quick quote for our services

Ground

Side Infill

Side

Side And Rear

Rear

Wraparound

First

Rear Over Outrigger

Rear Over Ground Floor

Side

Side And Rear

Rear

Loft

L Shaped Dormer

Outrigger Dormer

Main Dormer

Hip To Gable With No Dormer

Hip To Gable With Main Dormer

Basement

Main House

Outrigger

Part House

Whole House

Two Storey

Side

Rear

Garden

Annex

Your steps

Industry types like to speak in their own language, therefore the length of each step is called the ‘going’, while the height is the ‘rise’.

Each step on your staircase has to be the same height and length. You can’t be catching people out with one step at 185mm and the next 230mm!

Rise can be a minimum of 150mm and a maximum of 220mm

Going a minimum of 223mm and a maximum of 320mm

Head Height

This part of your stairs is pretty simple: you must have a minimum of 2000mm of head room, and this has to be constant through the entire staircase.

Handrails

One of the main concerns of building regulations is the health and safety of those dwelling in a property. And as such, handrails are an important part of any staircase design.

When planning your stairs, remember these handrail rules…

Handrails are mandatory.

Stairs should have a handrail on at least one side if they are less than one metre wide, and on both sides if wider than this.

Handrails should be placed between 900mm and 1000mm above the highest point on the staircase steps.

To protect children from getting their heads stuck, any spindles on your staircase should not allow a 100mm sphere to pass through.

Pitch

Pitch refers to the slope of your stairs. The maximum pitch of a domestic staircase is 42° - and that’s all you need to know for pitch. Easy.

Landings

Landings are very important for your staircase design, as you need to put appropriate measures in place so people can see your stairs when entering the space to avoid anyone falling down and becoming injured.

This means…

The space between any door opening and the staircase should be at least 400mm.

Landing at the top and bottom of every staircase should be level and flat, although those at ground level can have a gradient, as long as it doesn’t exceed 1:20.

With our team of experts, we’ll make sure your project not only gets approval, but that you feel confident and safe going into your build. Our aftercare includes continued advice services, plus introductions to the best contractors and suppliers in your area. We vet every professional we recommend, ensure your home is in safe hands at every stage.

Share:

You might look at stairs and not think much of them, but this home essential comes with a lot of rules and regulations - namely, building regulations.

As such a structurally important part of your home, all staircases must adhere to strict set of rules set out by the government. So if you’re looking at giving yours a makeover, or you want to build something bespoke, here’s what you need to know…

Width and height

Good news, though there are many rules surrounding staircases, there’s no strict minimum on the width your staircase can be. That being said, you’ll need to remember to keep them functional, and that at some point you’ll probably need to move furniture up or down them.

Our experts recommend keeping your stairs to a minimum of 750mm, though this can be pushed to 600mm in the case of loft conversions.

As for the length of your stairs, this is naturally dictated by the number of stairs you need, and their own height and width restrictions - more of this in a moment. For domestic properties, the maximum number of stairs you can have is 16. However, in our experience, even the tallest home rarely goes over 14.

Which part of your property are you looking to extend or renovate?

Select an option below to get a quick quote for our services

Ground

Side Infill

Side

Side And Rear

Rear

Wraparound

First

Rear Over Outrigger

Rear Over Ground Floor

Side

Side And Rear

Rear

Loft

L Shaped Dormer

Outrigger Dormer

Main Dormer

Hip To Gable With No Dormer

Hip To Gable With Main Dormer

Basement

Main House

Outrigger

Part House

Whole House

Two Storey

Side

Rear

Garden

Annex

Your steps

Industry types like to speak in their own language, therefore the length of each step is called the ‘going’, while the height is the ‘rise’.

Each step on your staircase has to be the same height and length. You can’t be catching people out with one step at 185mm and the next 230mm!

Rise can be a minimum of 150mm and a maximum of 220mm

Going a minimum of 223mm and a maximum of 320mm

Head Height

This part of your stairs is pretty simple: you must have a minimum of 2000mm of head room, and this has to be constant through the entire staircase.

Handrails

One of the main concerns of building regulations is the health and safety of those dwelling in a property. And as such, handrails are an important part of any staircase design.

When planning your stairs, remember these handrail rules…

Handrails are mandatory.

Stairs should have a handrail on at least one side if they are less than one metre wide, and on both sides if wider than this.

Handrails should be placed between 900mm and 1000mm above the highest point on the staircase steps.

To protect children from getting their heads stuck, any spindles on your staircase should not allow a 100mm sphere to pass through.

Pitch

Pitch refers to the slope of your stairs. The maximum pitch of a domestic staircase is 42° - and that’s all you need to know for pitch. Easy.

Landings

Landings are very important for your staircase design, as you need to put appropriate measures in place so people can see your stairs when entering the space to avoid anyone falling down and becoming injured.

This means…

The space between any door opening and the staircase should be at least 400mm.

Landing at the top and bottom of every staircase should be level and flat, although those at ground level can have a gradient, as long as it doesn’t exceed 1:20.

With our team of experts, we’ll make sure your project not only gets approval, but that you feel confident and safe going into your build. Our aftercare includes continued advice services, plus introductions to the best contractors and suppliers in your area. We vet every professional we recommend, ensure your home is in safe hands at every stage.